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“No muss or fuss!”. Laura Horne Betsy Rolland Sara Seely Hanh Truong. Sample Information Grounds. Park/playground (children) Dog park Hair salon/barber shop Airplane flight Ski lift Children’s sporting event (e.g., kid’s soccer game)
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“No muss or fuss!” Laura Horne Betsy Rolland Sara Seely Hanh Truong
Sample Information Grounds • Park/playground (children) • Dog park • Hair salon/barber shop • Airplane flight • Ski lift • Children’s sporting event (e.g., kid’s soccer game) • Store/shopping outlet (clothing store (new or used), grocery store, yarn shop knitting group, farmers’ market) • Bars/restaurants • Hallway after class • iSalon
Personal experiences with hair salons as IGs Receptionist/greeter Stuff for sale, especially beauty products Other services (manicures/pedicures) Relaxed atmosphere Clients spend extended periods of time there Lots of conversation in all directions (client-client, client-staff, staff-staff) Assumed people tend to gab there Something easy to observe Small group And so, we chose Rudy’s Barbershop Why did we choose a hair salon?
Why Rudy’s? • Personal connection – Sara had been there before • Easy to access • Easy to observe • Small group • Open, public, welcoming space • Diverse mission • Fit our criteria – or so we thought…
The people at Rudy’s • Hair clients • Gender • 50% men • 50% women • Age • Ages 9 to 58 represented • Staff • Friends & family of clients • Concert ticket clients
The physical setting • Spare exterior • Interior visually busy • Small reception desk plus bench for seating • Five hair stations • Cavernous and dark • Not a typical hair salon
The social aspects • Isolated while waiting – some self-imposed (reading) • No interaction in queue • Format of queue discourages interaction • While in chair, some chatted, others didn’t • Interactions primarily during cuts • Clients didn’t interact much • Service-orientation limits interaction • People mostly read while waiting • Walk-ins can’t choose stylist
Types of info shared –and in what direction • Information shared through: • Publications • Story sharing • No client-client sharing • Client-stylist sharing observed • Stylist-Stylist sharing not in scope
How informationincidents are created • Reading material everywhere • In-person interactions between people • Telephone calls
Encountering information through life stories Primarily through talking Mostly women People who encountered information primarily through sharing their life stories felt that this sharing impacted their lives. They found it very useful or that it “adds to [their] life” Encountering information through reading Primarily through reading Mostly men People who encountered information primarily through reading said that the information was not useful and definitely trivial Differences in use of Rudy’s as IG
Personal experiences with hair salons as IGs Receptionist/greeter Check-out person processing payments, not greeting Additional sales/hair products Cigarettes, in addition to mousse Other services (manicures/pedicures) Tattoos Tickets Relaxed, mellow atmosphere All-business Loud Extended time spent in salon Quick turn-around Limited time spent with stylist Lots of conversation in all directions (client-client, client-staff, staff-staff) Limited conversation paths No client-client sharing How did our assumptions pan out?
How did our assumptions pan out? (cont.) • Assumed people tend to gab there • Casual talk observed only during hair cuts • Other conversations were mainly transactional in nature • Something observable/easy to observe • Easy to observe • Clients were willing to be interviewed • Small group • Generally 6-10 people present at a time
Technology at Rudy’s • Big white piece of paper serves as waiting list • Bare-bones website • Ticket sale sign • Credit card machine • Window signs denoting services – “Haircuts * Tattoos * Smokes” • Telephone • Stylist tools
Facilitating Information Exchange at Rudy’s • Physical setting: • Reconfiguration of waiting area • Softer music • Better seating • Technological and systemic setting: • Hostess • Ability to choose your stylist • More interactive website • Music sharing
Possible information synergies: Entertainment info Publications Fliers Hair care advice Personal Health Fitness Romance Information pushers: Entertainment promoters – bands, fair organizers Hair care product sales people Personal service providers – matchmakers, career coaches, personal trainers Rudy’s as Information ConduitWhat, who, why